


The Guide To Everything You Didn't Need to Know About Posiedon

by InvaderHog



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Carina loves the stars, F/M, Grad School AU, Henry is a Greek Myth Nerd, In Love, Nerds in Love, They are both fucking nerds, Tumblr Prompt, fun idea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2018-11-28 06:32:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11412243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvaderHog/pseuds/InvaderHog
Summary: Rationalization is a physiological term used when someone is attempting to justify attitudes or behaviors. So yeah, grabbing Henry Turner and kissing him in front of the entire Yale staff to get his grandfather’s attention was one of those moments wherein Carina really needed to rationalize for the greater good.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt given on Tumblr by @elizabeth-svvann for the new movie. I have been unable to write a single word in almost two months now and her prompt finally got me writing again I am so grateful. I just really loved this movie and really love Henry Turner, he is a ray of sunshine that we don't deserve.

Chapter One  
The Brief History of Rome

“I am not going to stand for it Syrena!” Carina said, pacing the entirety of the small office. Syrena sighed and looked up from her laptop, attempting to finish writing her first draft of her dissertation proposal. It had now been an entire hour listening to Carina rant about the news that they had received in the morning at roll call. The TAs were members of the Arts and Science Wing of Yale University and both got the terrible news that they were losing one of their prized professors.

  
Dr. Jack Sparrow, nicknamed by someone ten years earlier as Captain Jack, was not going to be returning in the fall. He would work the last of the spring semester and then the university was letting him got due to “budget cuts” in the Physics Department. Though it probably also had a lot to do with the fact that Captain Jack tended to make enemies easily and was known for drinking and partying with freshmen during Rush Week.

But he was a good guy and he was supposed to be Carina’s go-to professor for her dissertation.

“I can’t believe the Dean is going to allow this.”

“It was probably his idea,” Syrena said, sighing and looking back at her work. She was trying to get something done but Carina was making things difficult. It had been no secret that Dean Swann disliked Captain Jack more than any other professor.

“Syrena, why aren’t you more upset? We’re both going for our doctorates next year, aren’t you more worried now that Dr. Sparrow isn’t going to be on the review board? It was extremely difficult to have your dissertation at Yale, it was well known. Especially in the sciences. Syrena was going to be a marine biologist and was always longing to go to the ocean.

The girls were roommates and had been living together ever since Carina was kicked out of the dorms because she was obsessed with breaking policy and going onto the roof without permission. Carina’s reason? She needed to see the stars anytime she wished. It was always difficult to get time on the telescope in the lab. She wanted to be able to work on her maps whenever. Syrena’s building offered a much safer roof and a much less worried landlord about lawsuits.  
Syrena took a liking to Carina instantly. Her sisters had often tormented the meek French girl from the time she was young and it was nice to have someone be nice to her. Carina had arrived at Yale when she was only sixteen, graduating top of her class in high school and already working her way towards her dissertation at the tender age of twenty-one.

“Carina, I like Dr. Sparrow, I do. He seems like a nice guy, but I have to worry about myself and my new panel. If he isn’t going to be on it, then I need a new plan. My case study on the use of man-made light and affects on fish is going to have to be changed to something else.”

It was hard to think about having a new panel after everything was almost here. Carina thought of what the next year and a half would bring. She had a semester to work on her proposal and then present it to the board, get approval and start her study in the fall. She already knew what she was going to do but now that Captain Jack wasn’t going to be mentoring her, she didn’t know what to do. She needed his help. She needed him back.

“I am going to protest.”

“Protest what? He’s being fired, Carina. Just use him as best you can as a source this semester, get your proposal done and just be grateful.”

Syrena was never one to sweat the small things. She was a nice person and she was always more relaxed compared to others. She was meek and small but she was fierce when it came to her passion- the ocean. So it was not surprising that she was already forming a new game plan while Carina was reeling. But it was harder for her.

Carina had grown up moving from foster home to foster home, constantly on the move and never in the same place for extended periods of time. She was always far more intelligent than anyone around her and it made it hard for her to connect with people. The first person who really saw her true potential was Captain Jack. And now she was losing him too. She hated it.

A knock came to the door and Phillip appeared, smiling brightly.

“Heard the good news about Jack?” he laughed, getting a glare from both women.

“Don’t start,” Syrena said and Carina looked frustrated.

“Don’t make this a joke!” Carina said, sitting down on the small couch and crossing her arms, angry.

“Ah come on, Jack hasn’t done anything for the department for two years. When was the last time he published anything? And last I checked, he wasn’t exactly on the greatest terms with the Dean,” Phillip said, plopping down in the other empty chair. Phillip and Syrena were engaged and had been in love since they met at Freshman Orientation at Oxford six years ago. Phillip was practically useless in Carina’s eyes, he was going for his doctorate in Religious Studies and often asked far too annoying philosophical questions that she had no time for. Science was the only real thing her life.

But she liked him generally and she could see that he and Syrena were really in love.

“I know that Jack is a good guy, he really can be when he wants to, but from what I heard, he was the one who got Professor Gibbs fired last year for that boar in the Freshman Dorm incident and Dr. Blackbeard had to leave two years ago because of that whole ‘fountain of youth’ thing. Not to mention Norington losing his scholarship because of that police raid. Or the time that Dr. Jones ended up almost drowning in the school pool.”

“Those were rumors, Phillip, nothing more,” Syrena interjected but he wasn’t listening.

“I think that it’s going to be fine. We are going to be fine. And I know you like him, Carina, but there isn’t really anything any of us can do about it.”

She wasn’t going to let sleeping dogs lie, he could tell. But a sharp look from Syrena silenced him. He instead suggested that they get back to work and prepare for the semester of chaos and deadlines ahead of them. Carina went to her office and sat down, looking at her e-mails.

She was not going to let this go.

\----

“Henry?” a voice asked, and he quickly set the weapon back on the display, looking like a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Yes?”

“What are you doing with your father’s sword?”

“…Nothing…”

Dr. Elizabeth Turner looked at him like he was five and he broke her favorite lamp and blamed the cat- considering they didn’t have a cat it was an amazing story.  
She walked over to him and even though he was twenty-one, he still felt like that ten-year-old kid running around their big backyard in Port Smith, looking at the ocean.

“Henry.”

“Okay, look, I am dressed in a really nice tuxedo, I wanted to try and take a selfie.”

He grabbed the weapon and slung it on his shoulder, grinning.

“Sweetie, you could hurt yourself,” she said, sighing and looking at him. He looked so proud.

“Are we ready?” Dr. Turner asked, coming into the room. Dr. Will Turner and his wife met when they were only children. She had saved his life when he was drowning in a pool on Yale campus where her father had been a professor for many years. He lived nearby after his father died when he was just a boy and always wished he could talk to her. He worked hard and got his way through school by classic blacksmithing weapons for movies and costumes, pirate swords his specialty.  
Elizabeth also attended Yale and was working on her degree in military history and was very well-known around campus. She saw Will for the first time again since they were children at orientation and asked him if he wanted to go on a date. They had been inseparable ever since.

Now their only son, Henry, was their biggest source of pride. Elizabeth worked for a women in military history museum and Will at Yale as a professor of literature. Henry was a classic literature major, taking anything and everything to do with myths of all kinds.

The young Turner discovered his first book of myths in his father’s library when he was ten. He found a book about a magical trident and became obsessed. He learned Greek and Latin and knew more about the myths of India and Ireland than he did about how to count fourteen plus seven without using his fingers.

“The Opera awaits my son and here he is, playing with swords,” Elizabeth sighed. This was the last family outing for a while. Will and Henry were going to be back in school for the semester and he was living in an apartment off-campus, not too many opportunities to see them.

“Grandpa is going to be wondering where we are,” Will said, taking the sword and putting it back after Henry got his picture, sighing.

“He is texting me right now,” Elizabeth said, smiling a little text from her father, Dean Swann, asking if they were leaving the house yet or was Henry causing a delay. They walked out of the house, talking and laughing as they went. There was never a more perfect family in the entire world then the Turners.


	2. Twenty-One Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, trying to get this guy updated as fast as possible. I ended up working almost fifty five hours this week so sleep has put a damper on my good writing time (#boo!) Hope y'all like it!!

Summary: Rationalization is a physiological term used when someone is attempting to justify attitudes or behaviors. So yeah, grabbing Henry Turner and kissing him in front of the entire Yale staff to get his grandfather’s attention was one of those moments wherein Carina really needed to rationalize for the greater good. Dead Men Tell No Tales College Grad AU

 

Chapter Two  
Twenty-One Questions

Carina didn’t know what it was the first time it landed on her desk. Two weeks into the new semester, she was still reeling from the news that Captain Jack was leaving. He had been so causal about it, laughing it off and taking a nap after getting the news. It didn’t really seem to bother him. But then again, nothing ever really did. The only thing that meant anything to him it seemed was the Black Pearl, his very nice, very expensive prized black 1960s Mustang that had its own parking spot in front of the building.

Syrena had been charged by Dr. Calypso to hand out the flyers to the science building, invitations via a flyer to the Annual Yale Fundraising Dinner. This was the biggest event of the year. The heads of every department were expected to go and the brightest students were encouraged to come and show off to get federal grants and private ones to fund the school for the rest of the year. It was also a great way to get feedback about research from normal patrons.

Carina had not been able to go to the last one because she was sick and had been too young to attend the others since she joined the school, Dr. Calypso very careful about parading around a minor at such an important event. Also Carina was difficult to like if you didn’t know anything about her. She tended to ramble on about the stars a lot.  
But this year it provided a much needed opportunity. Dean Swann always went and if she could talk to him, surely she would be able to gain his favor and ask for a few more years on Captain Jack’s job.

It was worth a shot at least.

But it was rather unfortunate that Carina didn’t really know what to wear or how to socialize. Thankfully she had Syrena and Phillip to beg for help.

“You really want to go to the fundraiser?” Syrena asked, skeptical. Carina might have left out her real motivation when she told her that she wanted to go that night back at their apartment. Phillip was in the kitchen, cooking up a fine pot of spaghetti.

“I think it’s a good way for me to meet the other members of the board before I have to go into the review in a month,” Carina said, which was the truth. The board she was supposed to have was Captain Jack, Professor Gibbs, Dr. Turner, and Dr. Barbosa. Now without Captain Jack, she didn’t know who was going to be on her board now.

“You’re hiding something,” Syrena said, blunt as ever. Phillip came out with two plates of pasta and garlic bread.

“What’s Carina hiding?”

“She wants to go to the fundraiser.”

“Really?” he asked, sounding surprised. Carina looked annoyed.

“I can go to a fundraiser, shake some hands, pretend to enjoy other people’s company. At least for a night.”

“I am with Syrena, that doesn’t sound like you at all,” he said, sitting down and taking a fork in hand to start eating.

“You’re right, it doesn’t. But I think you’re right too, Syrena, I need to focus on the future. I am going to be starting my dissertation next year and I have to know everyone on the board. And now with Dr. Sparrow leaving I am going to need to find a new mentor and a new head of my project.”

“Well, if you want to go, I suggest actually buying a dress- you only ever wear jeans or sweatpants,” Syrena said, and Carina nodded. “Go with blue, blue is clearly your color.”  
\----  
Henry Turner did not mean to arrive late to his lecture, yet again, but it had been such a beautiful day and he had to stop and go see the fountain just once while the spring lighting was perfect! Just off of the Yale campus was a large magnificent fountain in front of what had been a government building once, that contained the very beautiful and intricate statue of Persephone seated and flowers growing all around her. She was glorious and she was important this time of year. So of course he had to go and see her and fawn over her and oh shit, he was late again!

He was good at running, so he was luckily only a few minutes late- but that didn’t stop Professor Gibbs from calling him out on it.

“Mr. Turner, interrupting me already?” he asked, looking at the young man. He coughed and shook his head, sitting down quietly and apologizing with a little wave. Today was the first day of his Indian Studies class and they were going to be thrown right into it with myths about the original religious myths. Henry was enthralled, taking pages worth of notes as he excitedly followed along in his textbook. The young Turner had always had such a thirst for knowledge and myths only got him more excited. He made sure to write down where he could find some good Indian art to admire later that week.

The lecture ended as everyone started to spill out, but Henry stayed behind a moment to collect his books.

“Mr. Turner,” Professor Gibbs said, waving him over. Henry grabbed his books and hurried over.

“Yes, sir?” he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“It seems that you are going to be gracing my lectures yet again.”

“Sir, I promise I will be on time for the rest of the semester. It’s just- I decided to go pay my respects to Persephone. It’s spring time! Tomorrow I think I will go and pay my respects to Poseidon too!”

“I was making a joke, Henry. Also, I wanted to give you this,” he said, handing him the flyer. “I assumed that your parents were going to be attending, but its important that you start going to these events as well as a student. You are the crown jewel of the English Department.”

Henry looked at the flyer and ignored the comment. It had been very well known since he first started at the school who his parents were. He was lucky, though, very few knew that his grandfather was the dean. He was grateful, however, that his father had made it clear that Henry did his own work and not to be rewarded for no reason. He was the “jewel” of the department because of his own hard work.

“The Annual Fundraiser?”

“Yes, I know that you don’t really like going, but I think that its time that you start showing off for the patrons, get a little Greek culture into their blood, get them excited about giving the school money. Anytime you talk about the importance of true love in myths, people listen very closely.”

“I do not.”

“Henry, be honest. You can get an entire room to listen to you going on about the importance of the Tristan and Isolde myth and its importance to modern history. And trust me, no one actually cares.”

Henry didn’t know what to say so he just did what he always did- stared with his eyes wide and nodded his head briefly. So he was dismissed, flyer in hand and with the general understanding that he was going to be attending the fundraiser for the good of the department and that he was going to need to work on his storytelling.  
\---  
The evening of the fundraiser was a week later and it was decided that Syrena and Phillip would be attending as well to keep Carina from causing a scene. While she assured them that there wouldn’t be, Phillip was skeptical and Syrena wasn’t stupid.

The blue dress that they ended up picking out was a very lovely light blue sundress with very thin straps and she let her long brown hair tumble down around her shoulders at Phillip’s suggestion. They were all dressed very smartly and headed out together. Carina kept her game plan for the evening to herself.

Her first task was to find Dean Swann and speak to him. She had gotten the news the day before that Captain Jack was already preparing for other job prospects and he was going to guide her through her process of writing her proposal but after that he was going to be taking his leave. This outraged her to no end and she calculated her plan in her head, sneaking several peaks at the stars as they drove towards the large hotel where the fundraiser was taking place.

The Queen Anne’s Revenge Hotel was a massive building that was an eyesore at best, but it was grand and expensive and provided the best place for the Yale students and faculty to really show off their stuff for patrons and contributors. Alumni, professors and even several heads of businesses and politicians were in attendance as they arrived. Syrena left Carina to get a drink and Phillip kept watch close by, speaking to Professor Gibbs about his latest round of golf.

Carina struck out on her own and looked around the room for her prize. She had met Dean Swann on two occasions, well, not formally met, but she had seen him. He was at her freshman orientation- giving a speech. And at the Physics Christmas Party last year that she was forced to attend because Professor Calypso decided to sneak out for her vacation early and didn’t want to be the astrophysics rep there. Carina had spent the entire evening looking at the stars out a window.

She spotted him rather easily, speaking with a man and woman near the bar. Carina started for them but was stopped when someone walked right in front of her, tripping and dropping his plate filled with food. The plate shattered and he jumped, surprised. A waiter hurried over and he apologized over and over again.

“I am very sorry!” he said, distressed as the woman cleaned up the spill. He reached out and tugged a little on Carina’s dress, finding that nothing had spilled and she took a step back, surprised.

“S-Sorry,” he said, looking flustered.

“I’m fine,” she snapped and he stared at her.

“Uh, I am Henry,” he said, awkwardly holding out his hand to shake. They were the same age, and he was only slightly taller than her, dressed in a very smart suit with a red tie that was a little undone. He looked like he was easily flustered. She took his hand.

“Carina, I am sorry I snapped at you,” she said and he smiled, his entire face brightening up. Honestly, she had never seen someone so emotional before. It seemed whatever feeling he was experiencing was right there on his face. Carina had a problem with handling her emotions and usually just tried to keep neutral.

“It’s okay. It happens to me all of the time. But this is quite the first meeting between to people- the Greeks would call it a syántisi. An encounter!” 

“You drop food on the floor regularly when you meet people?”

He laughed nervously but then the look on her face indicated that she wasn’t joking so he slowly trailed off, trying to figure out what to do with his hands. Henry had never been more nervous in his entire life. But the sight of another person got him more confidence.

“Uncle Jack!” he said, brightening at the sight of a very drunk uncle who came up behind Carina. “Good to see that you were able to make it. My mother owes me ten dollars.”

“If you won a bet, I get a share,” he said, looking at Carina. “Ah, you’ve two have met. Carina Smyth, this is my dearest nephew- not by relation but by circumstances beyond everyone’s control- Henry Turner.”

She nodded and Henry beamed brighter, if that we even possible. He looked almost excited and Carina couldn’t for the life of her figure out why. She was already tired of this conversation and looked at the bar.

“Uh, well, it was nice meeting you, but I need a drink,” she said and before Henry could protest, her uncle stepped in and grabbed the boy by the shoulder, dragging him back to his parents sitting at their table.

Carina went to the bar and sat down, trying to think about what her strategy was going to be.

“That’s him, Professor Turner. He is the new head of the English Department. He was given the promotion last year and I heard that he can thank his very powerful father-in-law,” a woman said nearby. Carina looked over to see two women sitting at the bar, older ladies with noses for gossip, and whispering to each other. She looked in the direction they were speaking. Henry was speaking with the older man and it was clear that this man had to be his father, he looked exactly like him. He was grinning and laughing and talking animatedly about something.

“Who’s his father-in-law?” the other woman asked.

“Dean Swann. He has been married to Swann’s daughter for years. Everyone knows that Swann gives his son-in-law whatever he wants. He even got his grandson a nice seat at the table. That boy will be a professor here, sure enough.”

“But aren’t they cutting funding to other departments? Why is it that I heard that the English Department just acquired an original Greek sculpture for their courtyard when they are cutting the funding for the Math department?”

“We all know why. Turner has the power we don’t. The only way to gain his favor has got to be through his family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also really wanted to make sure to have Seyrena and Phillip a part of this story because they were the only reason I even liked the fourth movie tbh.


	3. The Fall of Troy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry about this super slow update, I am finally pretty stable in my new job. Yay! Thank you for reading!

It was actually rather easy. The pieces all fell into place as if they were a map of Orion. Henry Turner was the grandson of the man who was firing his uncle from his post and was going to ruin Carina’s chances. Along with any other dissertation going through the process over the next year. So it was only logical that she use her newfound knowledge to get advantage. She could convince Henry to have his uncle stay on as a professor and everyone would win.

It was logical, reasonable and scientific. Carina’s best work.

She slid off of the bar stool, looking at Henry.

He was the weirdest person she had ever met. There was no way she would ever really like him. But like the ladies said, he had always been given every advantage in the entire world because of his family. Carina bet that if he was like herself, fighting for everything she’d ever had, he wouldn’t be so happy about anything. He was happy because he was handed everything. So really, this choice was just another way to put him in his place and to ensure the future of her department.

Okay, sure, she was rationalizing because that’s what stupid, desperate people do.

And believe you me, Carina was clearly very desperate.

She walked up to the Turner table where everyone was standing around talking and she saw Henry standing there, talking very loudly about the importance of modern legend exploration when she grabbed him by the coat, turned him towards her and pulled him down.

Rationalization is a physiological term used when someone is attempting to justify attitudes or behaviors. So yeah, grabbing Henry Turner and kissing him in front of the entire Yale staff to get his grandfather’s attention was one of those moments wherein Carina really needed to rationalize for the greater good.

Henry for one was quite stunned.

His parents were staring and the entire room looked rather shocked.

Carina let him go and he stared at her, his face blank and she regretted the kiss the moment it happened.

“Uh, Carina, darling,” Jack said, looking rather playful, “Good to see that my nephew finally got himself a lady!”

Henry was so struck that he didn’t really know what to say. He just kept staring and Elizabeth moved towards them.

“Hello, I am Elizabeth Turner, Henry’s mother,” she said, extending a hand and Carina stared at her. This was fantastically comical. It was like the elephant in the room had sat down on them and they were still trying to ignore it.

“Carina Smyth,” she said, her face flush and her heart beating faster than she thought it would. It wasn’t even that great of a kiss. “I am Henry’s girlfriend.”

Apparently that was news to everyone, including Henry because he looked downright floored.

“M-Mother,” he stammered but Elizabeth didn’t miss a beat.

“Oh, well then of course you must join our table! Henry, why don’t you pull out her chair!”

Yeah, Carina really knew she’d made a terrible mistake now, since they were all sitting and staring at each other.

“Uh, Carina,” Professor Turner said, extending a hand, “I am Will Turner, I am Henry’s father, and this is Jack, as you know. Henry’s uncle.”

“Yes, I was pretty sure that Carina was capable of a lot of things when she first spoke out in my string theory class last year, but I guess I quite underestimated her. Bold move to announce you’re dating.”

Henry still didn’t seem capable of speech.

“Well, I see it as the best solution. Just go into a situation and be as upfront as possible. Now you know that we are a couple.”

She reached over and grabbed Henry’s hand and he stared at her, still unsure what to do or say. His face was completely blank but much to her surprise, he gripped her hand and started to relax a little.

“Ah, here is my family!” Dean Swann said, laughing and sitting down, a politician with him as they joined the table. Carina didn’t mean to but she gripped Henry’s hand a little harder and he looked at her.

“That’s my grandfather, Dean Swann,” he said, leaning in close, finally capable of speaking again. “Amica mea.”

She looked at him, about to ask him what was the last thing he’d said but there was suddenly applause and their hands were forced apart, everyone clapping as the fundraiser was beginning.  
\---  
“You are dating Henry Turner?” Syrena practically accused her in the bathroom when she found her ten minutes after the beginning of the dinner and dragged her there. “What in the hell are you thinking?”

“I am thinking that this is the perfect way to get what I want. I can convince Dean Swann to let Captain Jack stay and we can finish our dissertations without any problems.”

“This is insane and I believe that mermaids exist, Carina.”

“I wasn’t thinking.”

“Clearly. And now you’ve made a fool of yourself and of Henry Turner. That kid is going to be heartbroken when you tell him the truth.”

“The truth?” Carina asked, confused.

“You can’t seriously let him believe that you want to actually date him, you don’t even know him!”

“I am not going to date him. I am going to use him to get his grandfather to give me what I want.”

“This is going to blow up in all of our faces and no one is going to be able to take the heat expect for you. I am not going to help you.”

“I don’t need your help Syrena, I can handle myself.”

Syrena let out a loud laugh. “Carina, you’ve never dated, ever. All you care about is your research and any guy ever remotely interested in you usually got the cold shoulder at best. You are going to crash and burn on this one. That sweet kid out there has no idea what is coming for him.”

“He’s not sweet; he is a spoiled brat who randomly mocks people in other languages. He is going to be easy.”  
\---  
Henry was living in a fog. When he had first seen Carina coming into the room, he was taken completely by surprise. She was incredibly beautiful and fine, he was reminded of a very beautiful painting of the goddess Izamani, powerful and terrifying and enchanting all at the same time. He had been so flustered running into her he barely knew how to speak. And then just now he was told that apparently they were dating and she introduced herself to his entire family unprompted.

Henry, innocent young idiot that he was, had never actually been on a date before, let alone spoken to anyone about it. He had always tried going on dates but it only took him one look at a nice statue or a reference to literature to start him on a rant about the importance of the Fall of Rome or the importance of the Jewish Torah to the History of Man. 

Women usually walked away before he could even get to the exciting part.

But he felt like for some reason Carina wasn’t someone who would dislike that kind of topic. He was sitting at the table, watching the people sit and eat and talk. His mother had been eyeing him the entire meal but kept her feelings to herself for the moment after having a very heated argument with her husband at the bar.

“Will, who is this girl? How come Henry’s never told us anything about her?” she asked, downing another shot and demanding another. She had known her son was never going to be like Jack (thank god), but he certainly was far too innocent to be dating anyone. He had always been so innocent, no matter what happened to him. Many times Elizabeth found herself having to remind him to be cautious around people. His easily trusting nature had been manipulated many times. As he got older he was better at understanding that not everyone wanted to be his friend, but she thought at least he would have the general understanding that not everyone you meet can be a part of your life. Henry was always bringing kids his homework or giving away his lunch or doing something he thought was nice but really it was just another kid seeing that he was easy and would take from him for as long as Elizabeth would allow it.

But he had matured a little and was much better at being cautious. But this stunt was worrisome to say the least.

“I thought you’d be happy for him. He finally has an interest in someone and the feeling looks pretty mutual.”

Will was the other side of the coin. He had always thought that protecting Henry from everything was just a waste of time. He was fine with letting the boy run around and be hurt by people as long as it didn’t get out of hand. As long as Henry learned something from it. Like the time that he had found a frog and gave it to the neighbor as a present and then was horrified to find the frog dead on the ground because the neighbor’s dog tore it in half. Will was sorry that these things had to be learned like that but it was the only way Henry was going to be able to experience the world. He was always living in a dream, in history, in myth, it was hard to ground him in reality sometimes.

“I am happy, but we don’t even know this girl.”

“Then we get to know her. Jack said that she was one of his students.”

“We can’t just interrogate her, she might get overwhelmed.”

“Then we’ll talk to her casually. We have the party next week, have Henry invite her.”

Elizabeth didn’t like the idea but she accepted for the sake of her son.

So at the table, looking at her son in a daze, Elizabeth smiled softly.

“Henry, sweetheart. We are so thrilled that you are doing well in school and have… a girlfriend… we would love to invite her to the party next weekend.”

Henry snapped from his daze and smiled at his mother.

“Really?”

“Yes, I think it should be nice to get to know Carina,” she said and he nodded.

“I will let her know!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I re-wrote this chapter a few times because I didn't want to rush the relationships between the Turners, and I am glad I did. Also Henry is a sweetheart but he is also an idiot and I would die for him.  
> Also: Izami is the Japanese goddess of creation and death- she was both incredibly beautiful and incredibly terrifying. She was also incredibly vengeful when her true love abandoned her, so of course Henry would think of her when he looks at Carina.


	4. The Importance of being Henry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updated- I needed to find a story that was so Henry (of course he believes in true love) and also so Carina as well. Glad I came up with this one!!!

Henry was almost bouncing in place when Carina and Syrena returned from the bathroom. Henry had no idea who the newcomer was but he was pleased when she smiled at him.

“Hello,” he said, throwing out a hand and smiling brightly. Nothing to dampen his spirits tonight. He was on cloud nine.

“Hi,” Syrena said, insisting that now that Henry and Carina were “dating” that she be introduced since she was the roommate. “I am Syrena, Carina’s roommate.”

“Henry Turner,” he said, grinning, “Carina’s not-roommate, but apparently boyfriend?”

Carina didn’t like the way he had said it so jokingly. She knew that he was stupid, but full of himself seemed to be another trait. Carina tended to take humor in the same way someone might take cold medicine when they are children, necessary in only the most dire of situations.

“I was wondering, what are you majoring in, Henry?” Syrena asked, apparently deciding that she was going to turn this little meeting into an interrogation but Henry just became even more excited about the prospect of telling someone what he was studying.

“Myths, all kinds, legends of any sort that I can get my hands on. I want to write a collection of myths in terms about their importance on human history.”

“Myths. Like what? Do you have a favorite?”

Carina thought that she had seen Henry smile but apparently that was his reserve smile. The beaming grin he produced at the thought of being able to talk about his favorite myth apparently was something he could not contain.

“Have you ever heard the story of the Basket Weaver and the Oxman?”

“No,” Syrena said, Phillip joining them now with a plate of food in hand. Carina was trying to think of a way to separate them, break away but the sear joy on Henry’s face made her pause. She had never seen someone so passionate about something before. Sure, she talked about stars until the sun came up, but something about this story clearly meant so much to Henry that she had to hear it out.

“It is an infamous Japanese myth, a very staple story in their culture and is linked to the first day of summer. The story goes, ah, once upon a time, there were the gods. They lived among the stars and constellations, protecting humans and working hard at their crafts. There was a goddess, the jewel of the heavens, named Orihime- Japanese for Princess. She was so beautiful and envied by all of the gods for even the stars could not shine as bright as she did. She was a Basket Weaver and was constantly at work. And then there was a young god named Hikoboshi. He was a handsome young god with the love of stars and a great oxman. He guided the ox through the galaxy and worked hard.

“The pair of them were living in harmony until one day they saw each other and fell in love at first sight. They were so in love that they went to the gods, begging to be married to each other. The gods, envious of their intense love, granted them their request as long as they continued to do their work in the heavens. The couple were married and happy. But-”

“Ooo, good stories always have something like this,” Syrena said, grinning. Carina hadn’t even realized that she was actually hanging on every word until Syrena interrupted. Henry grinned and looked at Carina, checking to see if she was engrossed. She looked away, as if half-interested.

“But, the beloved couple were too much in love. They didn’t do anything but be together all of the time, laughing, going on dates, playing in the stars. They were neglecting their   
work. And the gods noticed quickly. They came together and talked it over, and finally they went to Orihime and Hikoboshi, telling them that they needed to get back to work. But they didn’t want to. Why work when it took time away from each other? So the gods finally had to condemn them. They took the Milky Way and pushed it between them, separating them on each side like an endless river of stars. The couple were separated and unable to do anything, only able to see each other from a distance.”  
Carina pretended to be interested in her phone while she looked up this story, wondering about the stars he was referring to.

“The lovers were so sad. The gods watched them work in misery, wishing they were dead than be apart. The gods felt sorry for what they had done in haste and finally made an amendment. The couple would be able to come together once a year, on the first summer night, when the Milky Way is thin and ready to part. Then they can cross the river of stars and be together for the entire day and night before they must return to their sides of the river once more. So, the couple agreed if it meant that they could be together at least for a time. They worked hard every day, watching the stars pass them by in anticipation for their reunion. The first day of summer came and Orihime ran through the river of stars to her husband’s arms.”

“Oh, how romantic,” Syrena said, smiling lovingly.

“They were happy to be together, but they still had only the day and night. The following night, they had to return to their sides of river and watch the stars part them once more. So, every year, they wait by the riverside, looking at each other across the stars, waiting for the chance to cross the river and be together once more.”

Henry had not noticed that he had a much bigger audience now than when he started out and Phillip did a little clap, starting a little applause.

“Excellent story, I loved it,” he said, putting out a hand for Henry to shake, “Phillip, Religious Philosophy. I am guessing that you are Henry Turner.”

“Yes,” he said, Carina putting away her phone and crossing her arms.

“Leave him alone, Phillip, he doesn’t know that you’re making fun of him,” she said, Henry looking at her.

“I am not, don’t listen to her. Hey, we hear that you two are dating now, and so Syrena and I want to invite you out on a double date!”

“Really?” Henry asked, looking at Syrena. She smiled.

“It would be so nice to get to know you better since we’ll be seeing a lot of each other,” she said, eyeing Carina. She looked like she wanted to say something but she knew that it would better to let this one slide. She reached out and touched Henry’s arm.

“You don’t have to go, they are just being polite.”

“Of course I’d love to,” he said, looking genuinely happy just to be invited out somewhere.

“Actually! You guys can come to- my family has this big party to celebrate the beginning of the school semester out at our lake house. Everyone is invited, especially you, Carina. My mother wanted me to personally invite you, this weekend.”

He was standing incredibly close to her, swinging their arms a little as he had managed to get a hold of her hands and she stared at him. Normally she could scream no and stomp off, but the genuine care in his eyes told her that there was nothing that she could do to refuse him. She didn’t have any excuse not to go and if his parents were throwing the party, his grandfather was probably going to be there too. She just kind of nodded, not sure what else to do and he grinned, and without thinking, leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“Excellent, I will tell my mother the good news.”  
\---  
“Oh man, Carina, you are so screwed,” Phillip said on the car ride home.

They had left the party before the others, Carina not able to really look Henry in the eye after he kissed her cheek. She had stayed close to the table and watched her phone most of the rest of the night. She was looking out of the window at the stars right now, trying to find the ones Henry had been talking about.

“Shut up, Phillip.”

“Carina, he’s not wrong. You need to stop this before it gets worse. That boy is really into you.”

“Turner just thinks that he has another devoted follower. The way he told that stupid story-”

“That was a great story, actually. I couldn’t tell if I really liked the myth or the way he talked about it. He is a great story-teller. I was asking around about him at the party, and apparently he is the prize jewel of the English department. Professor Gibbs especially favors him. He writes a lot of great essays about myths for the school paper, too.”

“Hey, drop me off at the telescope,” she said suddenly, seeing the turn coming up.

“Are you going to be there all night?” Syrena asked, looking over her shoulder at her.

“I need to think. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am hoping to get another chapter up soon!!!


	5. The Great Sky Above

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so my New Years Resolution is to freaking finish all of my fics left in the air, starting with this guy. I am so sorry if you were waiting a hundred years for an update.

The telescope was the reason why Carina went to this school. It was an observatory that was infamous in the area and had one of the greatest perches in the state. She usually had to put in for time on the telescope but as one of the more beloved astronomy students, she found that she could walk right in for an hour or so with no one to bother her.

She looked at the map on the board near the telescope, the student who had let her sit in for a while was charting the moon’s orbit past Mars for a project. She looked at the map and then wondered about the story that Henry had been so excited about. She was never really one for myths, but anything to do with the stars was always interesting. Of course all stars had stories and names in different religions and texts. She had heard many myths about them. But it had always been the science that she cared about.

But for the first time in a long time, the story of the two lovers had actually renewed her interest in the stories about the stars. She wondered why. She looked into the telescope and found the Milky Way with little effort. It was early winter, so the stars he was talking about were far apart now, but she had seen for herself that during summer time the stars did shift.

Henry Turner had been nothing she had anticipated.

She had done everything so hastily- she had suddenly kissed him, made a complete fool of herself in front of everyone, and then got her roommate and Phillip caught up in it. She had no idea what she was thinking or doing. The stars calmed her as she tried to come up with a game plan.

She needed to get through the weekend. Henry had mentioned a party, and she never really liked parties, but she would endure anything to make sure that Captain Jack stayed where he was.

But Syrena was right, she was using Henry.

He seemed so much more different than what she had pictured in her head. He was a spoiled rich boy with nothing but the world laying at his feet.

What she found was an easily excitable child who enjoyed telling bedtime stories for crowds of people. To find that he was a little showman was not surprising. Jack was his uncle after all.

What was strange about the entire affair was how quickly he latched onto her. He could have said no at any moment or told everyone that he didn’t know who she was or that they weren’t dating. He could have done anything to get her to stop but he didn’t. He seemed rather pleased with himself.

She was going to have to do a lot of thinking.  
\----  
Henry Turner was flying. His heart was full of emotions he didn’t know existed and on his way home he stopped at the Fountain of Aphrodite and thanked her over and over again for his good fortune.

Carina was amazing. He wished more than anything to know every single thing about her.

He had asked his Uncle Jack about her after she left early.

She was an astrophyics major and was very much a woman of science, and spent most of her time working hard on her charts or in class. She constantly read and knew more about the night sky than anyone Jack knew. He also mentioned that he was surprised to find that the two of them were even an item since he never saw Carina be interested in anyone.

But it didn’t put any kind of damper on his joy.

“Oh, Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, you have sent your son Eros to me and found me someone truly amazing. She is so smart and beautiful and I fear far better than me,” he said, sighing and walking around the fountain, talking to the statue in the middle.

“Do you think that I should thank all of the gods of love? Just in case you did not bless me so? I shall go home and make a list,” he said, smiling to himself and then stopping.

“Did I remember to get Carina’s number?”

He checked his phone. He did not. He sighed. He would have to text his uncle for her number and call her tomorrow. He had told his mother how thrilled everyone was about the lakehouse. To his surprise, his mother was not so thrilled. She did not dare to reject an invitation once given but she did balk at the thought of two more strangers at her party. But Henry was so sweet and smiled so brightly at his mother that she could not refuse him.

She could never refuse Henry. Even as a small child he was never one for getting into any kind of trouble. He was always doing as he was told and constantly on the lookout for fun and adventure. His mother constantly worried that the world would hurt her precious boy before he was mature enough to handle it. And while he did not understand that was what her fear was with Carina’s sudden appearance, he was grateful nonetheless that his mother was so thoughtful as to invite her.

He thanked Aphrodite once more and started to list the names of the gods he meant to thank in the morning as he walked on.  
\---  
Carina was leaving the observatory when she stopped, seeing someone standing by a large sculpture near the main building. She recognized him instantly and wondered if she should just slip away unnoticed but then she heard him talking.

“Oh, Mighty Persephone! What should I do? I have been walking around for hours but I can’t remember where the hell I live.”

Henry was standing in front of his favorite statute of Persephone, sighing. He thought he was going to right way for about an hour. Then he realized he had gone around the entire campus in a big circle, getting caught up in his list.

“You always ask statues for directions?”

He jumped at the sound of her voice and looked at her.

“Carina!”

“What are you doing here so late?” she asked, looking at her phone. It was almost two in the morning now.

“Uh, I got lost… I do that a lot,” he said, laughing awkwardly. “But I know where I am when I find Persephone,” he said, looking at her statue. “She is so beautiful, isn’t she? I love this one and the one Poseidon in front of the Library. I love that the campus has so many statues,” he said, staring up at the goddess. She was releasing a dove into the sky and was surrounded by flowers.

“Well then… good luck,” she said, turning and walking away and Henry looked at her back.

“Wait! Why are you out here so late?”

“I had to do a little bit of thinking. Looking at the stars helps me think,” she said, pointing at the sky. He looked up and a brilliant smile appeared. It was like he didn’t know how else to express emotion. Carina couldn’t remember the last time she smiled like that. When had been the last time she smiled? She couldn’t recall.

“They’re beautiful,” he said, looking at the sky. He was quiet for a moment and then he looked at Carina. “Do you think that ghosts can see stars? Or do they even have a perception of time? I assume that time doesn’t matter when you’re dead.”

She stared at him. Was he seriously asking her this question?

“Wait! Do you think that sea creatures can perceive the stars? Like if they come to the surface, do they know that there is a sky beyond the sky? How fascinating!”

“Are you serious?” she asked, dumbfounded. Henry looked confused.

“What do you mean? Of course I am.”

“There is no such thing as ghosts,” she said, and he smiled.

“I don’t know- no one knows what happens to the spirit when it moves onto the next realm. There is a lot of myths about abandoned souls and what happens when the dead cannot move on,” he said. “You never really know. The Koreans believe that your soul can’t be reincarnated for three months- the mourning period- so you have to keep vigil or the spirit of your loved one cannot move on. At least, I think that’s how that one goes. I have to keep research.”

Phillip would have talking philosophy with Henry, Carina could already see it.

“I am going to go home,” she declared and he nodded.

“Oh, uh, are you walking?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Well, be careful,” he said and looked back at his statute.

She waited a moment. Most men would have asked if she wanted an escort home. Apparently Henry was nothing like anyone within the realm of normal.

“No, Carina, please, let me walk you home, don’t go alone,” she said in a mocking fashion and he looked at her.

“Oh! Right! Yes! Excellent idea,” he said, and hurried over to her side, and before she could protect, he took a hold of her hand and started walking.

“W-Wait, you don’t even know where I live,” she said, having to keep up.

“Well, I assume that you know where it is,” he said, laughing as they walked. He tugged her a little, getting her to move faster as they reached the apartments off campus. He had been walking all night, he needed to get home himself. They came to her apartment and Henry stopped.

“This is it? Not far from my house,” he said, looking down the road a little.

“Don’t get lost,” she said blandly and he smiled.

“Thank you, I hope not,” he said, looking at the sky. “I get lost easily.”

“Yes, you said that. Goodnight.”

Before she could go, Henry reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, and leaned in. He kissed her. At first very tentatively and then with more passion as he cupped her cheeks. Carina, in a moment of pure insanity, kissed him back.

He let her go and smiled.

“I am so glad I met you, Carina Smyth.”

With that he said nothing else and walked off into the night and Carina was grateful that it had been too dark for him to see her blush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I watched Dead Men Tell No Tales and I just loved that Henry is constantly checking maps, like he's never quite sure where he is, I see that kid getting lost pretty easily without a map for help.


End file.
